Sheffield V Scunthorpe H + A Mdl

[Main Man]

MIDLAND DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SHEFFIELD TIGER CUBS 21 SCUNTHORPE STAGS 14SCUNTHORPE STAGS 20 SHEFFIELD TIGER CLUBS 16 After two meetings in two days Scunthorpe Stags Team Manager Richard Hollingsworth is delighted with how the Midland Development League has evolved in 2012. His side won the home meeting 20-16 but lost Thursday night’s meeting in Sheffield 21-14 but he declared “This league is all about getting inexperienced riders track time and if you look at the eleven riders who competed over these two meetings you have to say the league is doing it’s job. There were no riders older than their mid-twenties, none who have already reached their peak and many of them are teenagers. “I feel sorry for all the riders who don’t qualify for the MDL and it can be tough getting a team together at times but to see so many young riders competing makes it all worthwhile. The problem we have at Scunthorpe is that we have so many riders in the National League Saints team that need these meetings. We had Max Clegg riding for Sheffield and Tommy Fenwick heading the Stags tonight but quite often we have Oliver Greenwood and Danny Phillips wanting to ride. I hope the rules can be amended for next season to ensure the league helps these type of riders. “Other than that and a couple of other minor tweaks the league is excellent. I wasn’t totally convinced about its merits last year but the quality of the racing is far superior this year. Tonight I had to swap a couple of riders so the number ones (Tommy Fenwick and Max Clegg) got to face each other for a second time and it also make heat 5 probably the best I’ve seen in the MDL. We had three youngsters, Michael Faulkner, Connor Coles and David Holt swapping places throughout the race and you could throw a blanket over them at the finish. They were all buzzing after that race and it will have done their confidence a world of good. “Tommy Fenwick might be a little older than the others but hasn’t been riding a speedway bike a year yet and he was sub sixty-one seconds tonight. That was an achievement whilst David Holt went sub sixty-three seconds which is pretty good for him. “Next week we go to Coventry on Wednesday which will be a different track for most of the team so that will be another good experience for the riders”. The Stags remaining meetings are: Wednesday 8th August - Away v CoventryFriday 17th August – Home v Belle VueThursday 23rd August – Away v Milton Keynes (at Sheffield)Friday 14th September – Home v Stoke Post match quotes:

Richard Hollingsworth (Stags’ Team Manager) – “It’s shame to lose but it’s more important to get these meetings on and give young riders track time. Danny Phillips is just 15 and has only been riding a few months. He was close to sixty-one seconds in heat 5 which shows he is progressing well whilst Adam Kirby did well on his second bike to make the pass on Adam Sheppard in heat 2. “Mike Faulkner stepped in and was on the pace. Thankfully he is okay after his fall and he just needs track time and the same applies to Simon Allan. Simon was beating himself up and wasn’t going to take his last ride. His confidence had gone after his fall in heat 3 but I told him he wasn’t going to regain it sat on his backside. He went out and did four steady laps in heat 6 and he’s started the process of rebuilding his confidence. “He was pleased he’d gone out and as I tell all the lads it’s not about whether the Stags win or lose. It is about learning. When there is plenty of dirt out wide after a Premier League meeting you don’t need riders feeling pressured to go into dirt when you know they don’t have the experience to ride it. That experience comes further down the line and you need to set your bike up differently to ride dirt like that. “Our next meeting isn’t until we go to Sheffield at the end of April but Halifax start their home meetings at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 20th April against Long Eaton and they have some great youngsters in their squad. Connor Coles and Liam Carr are young lads who have a lot of potential whilst another teenager, Rachel Hellowell, just gets faster and faster and is undoubtedly the best female in the country. I think she is going to take a few scalps this year if she takes her speedway seriously”. Full scorers: Sheffield Tiger Cubs 21 – Max Clegg 8 (3 rides), Andy Braithwaite 6+2 (3), Tom Woolley 3 (2), Andy Blackburn 4 (3)

Scunthorpe Stags 14 – Oliver Greenwood 6 (3 rides), David Holt 4 (4), Adam Kirby 2 (3), Michael Neale 2 (2).

1: Greenwood, Clegg, Braithwaite, Holt. (3-3)(3-3) Close race between the two Scunthorpe Saints riders competing for opposing sides 2: Woolley, Neale, Blackburn, Kirby. (4-2)(7-5)Adam Kirby shed a chain and fell whilst second on lap three 3: Clegg, Holt, Blackburn, Neale (retired). (4-2)(11-7)Michael Neale suffered an engine failure whilst second on the last lap 4: (re-run) Braithwaite, Holt, Woolley (retired), Greenwood (fell, excluded). (3-2)(14-9)Oliver Greenwood fell whilst second on the third bend of the first running. His Point 2 air bag race jacket worked and he “couldn’t feel a thing” when he landed. Tom Woolley had an engine failure when leading the re-run at the end of the third lap 5: Clegg, Braithwaite, Kirby, Holt. (5-1) (19-10) 6: Greenwood, Blackburn, Kirby (three riders only). (2-4) (21-14)With rain starting to fall the meeting was completed in the nick of time. Andrew Blackburn passed Adam Kirby on the last lap. Scunthorpe Stags 20 – Tommy Fenwick 5 (3 rides), David Holt 5+2 (3), Adam Kirby 6(3), Michael Faulkner 4+2 (3) Sheffield Tiger Cubs 16 – Max Clegg 12 (4), Connor Coles 4 (4), Michael Neale 0 (1) 1: Clegg, Fenwick, Holt, Coles (retired), 60.72 (3-3)(3-3)Max Clegg came from third to finally work his way past Tommy Fenwick after the Scot held him at bay for a couple of laps. Connor Coles suffered an engine failure whilst third on lap three. 2: Clegg, Kirby, Faulkner, Neale (fell, excluded), no time, race awarded (3-3)(6-6)Michael Neale was third when he fell on the last lap 3: Fenwick, Faulkner, Coles (three riders only), 60.90 (5-1)(11-7)Good race for second place with Michael Faulkner doing well to hold off Connor Coles 4: Clegg, Kirby, Holt, (three riders only), 60.28 (3-3)(14-10) 5: Holt, Coles, Faulkner (three riders only), 62.94 (4-2)(18-12)Scunthorpe put Michael Faulkner in for Tommy Fenwick. Fantastic race with the proverbial blanket being able to be thrown over all three riders as they passed and re-passed each other for the full four laps. 6: Clegg, Kirby, Coles, Fenwick, 59.97 (2-4)(20-16)Max Clegg made a fantastic start and Tommy Fenwick took to the dirt to try and get back on terms with him. However, a mistake out in the dirt relegated him to last. Clegg’s last two winning times were better than heats 2 and 8 of the preceding Premier League meeting.

[Albert]

Have to agree with Richard..heat 5 of the Stags v Sheff match was an absolute classic, the lead changing hands on almost every bend, all three riders heading the race at some point....best race ive seen at this level by far. Well done boys, credit due, shame more supporters didnt stay back to watch it, deserved a greater audience.

[lucifer sam]

Have to agree with Richard..heat 5 of the Stags v Sheff match was an absolute classic, the lead changing hands on almost every bend, all three riders heading the race at some point....best race ive seen at this level by far. Well done boys, credit due, shame more supporters didnt stay back to watch it, deserved a greater audience.

 

That was a tremendous race.

 

All the best

Rob

[Parsloes 1928 nearly]

btw, MDL rider Tom Woolley could end the year as a WORLD CHAMPION..! Tom is currently leading the overall rankings in the inaugural Flattrack FIM World Championship after second places in Prague and at Montegiorgio in Italy. Next round is over in the home of Flattrack, the USA at Auburn, Cal. Good luck to Tom!!